/ ˈælkəhɒl; NAmE -hɔːl; -hɑːl/ noun [ U ]
1.
drinks such as beer, wine, etc. that can make people drunk :
He never drinks alcohol.
alcohol abuse
2.
the clear liquid that is found in drinks such as beer, wine, etc. and is used in medicines, cleaning products, etc. :
Wine contains about 10% alcohol.
levels of alcohol in the blood
He pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.
low-alcohol beer
alcohol-free beer
—see also absolute alcohol
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent.: French (earlier form of alcool ), or from medieval Latin , from Arabic al-kuḥl the kohl. In early use the term referred to powders, specifically kohl, and especially those obtained by sublimation, when a solid turns directly into a vapour upon heating; later a distilled spirit (mid 17th cent.).